I'm not on public assistance, but I don't take illicit drugs (presc<x>ription, which I'm guessing they accept) either, so even if I was it wouldn't be an issue. <br /><br />But I wonder, what happens if the person tests positive ? She doesn't get to feed her kids that month ? Does the state pay for her rehab and provide foster care for her kids in the meantime ? How does it work in Florida ?

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Okay for the first time in YEARS I disagree with you. Every company I have been associated with in the last dozen years, does a drug test. In doing so, I do not think they are treating Me like a criminal. I DO STRONGLY disagree, that if you choice of Recreation is Legal, then what you Chose to do on YOUR TIME should not be up for discussion with your employer, UNLESS it interferes with you doing your job WHILE YOU ARE ON THE CLOCK.

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I wasn't thinking of it that way. If all they want is an initial test when one applies, that is not a big deal. My issue is that I was on welfare/food stamps/medicaid when I was too ill to work, but hadn't yet managed to access disability payments, though I did in fact qualify, but it took years to get my court date in order to be able to be declared eligible. So I think about some poor single parent whose barely hanging on having to repeatedly show up on demand to take a random drug test when there is no reason for it other than the fact that she is asking the state to help her out, because she is too sick to work and has a child to provide for.

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Florida has a higher rate of abuse of pharmaceuticals than any other state in the country. Look up "Florida pill-mills"..... One doctor falsely prescribing patients can see a patient every couple of minutes and put 20,000 pills a day into the hands of traffickers and drug abusers. I can totally understand why they've implemented drug testing this way. Soliciting taxpayer funding = federal prerogatives to monitor the populace = they still think the war on drugs is eventually going to work.

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Way past time, if I have to pass a drug test to WORK then they should if they are sitting on their assets collecting welfare &amp; getting free food (that my taxes pay for); having said that all of you who are going to BLAST back at me saying not all on welfare are cheats, evidently you miss the point, this is ONLY directed at those who DO NOT DESERVE SUCH ASSISTANCE.

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You &amp; me brother! I finally broke down to get food stamps. This was Right after Katrina...(I'm in Tx) and I was told all the monies were tied up helping those in LOUISIANNA.Then a year later I went to my local food bank to get groceries, no job, eating out of garbage cans...no utilities for 8 yrs......was told no CURRENT WATER BILL, NO FOOD.

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I was drug tested where I worked. If I didn't want to get tested, I'd get fired and not receive money. Since these people don't even have to work for their money, I think it's fair for them to be tested in order to get the handout.

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if I was in need of public assistance and didn't have a job I wouldn't be doing drugs . The working majority is getting tired of supporting losers . I'm waiting for someone to initiate a bill for unwed mothers who have multiple children and no idea who the father is

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Hey Charlie I am with you on that one. Here it is the illegal mexicans with mulitple children BORN HERE thus usually ending up with AMNESTY from some lame President. Like in recent news illegal mexican mom, 6 kids might be deported back to Mexico...but no senor, I am their momma.......

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Just so that you know, Saint Ronnie Raygun did the very same thing in 1986 with the Simpson-Mazzoli Act. He gave across the board amnesty, with the proviso that going forward, employers had to verify legal status before hiring or face massive fines. The loophole, however, was that employers only had to make a "reasonable" (read cursory) effort to verify authenticity of documentation presented. So here we are, again.

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Is it illegal to harm oneself? This is a genuine question since I do not know the US law. If it is legal to be an alcoholic or drug abuser, then this is against the privacy of an individual. A person, who smokes pot, could be a very good artist, musician, actor, politician, philosopher, etc... But he is not to be fed if he loses his job?Funny enough, I agree with Florida! Who knew there might be a little conservative in this old liberal.